Assange supporters seek bail money

LONDON, Oct. 3 (UPI) -- Supporters of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange said in a London court they sought bail money now in jeopardy after he secured sanctuary from litigation.

The group that pledged bail money, called sureties, totaling $224,000 included Vaughan Smith, the former British army captain who hosted Assange while he was out on bail in 2011 after Assange's arrest in connection with allegations of rape and sexual assault in Sweden, the British newspaper The Guardian reported Wednesday.

Assange broke his bail conditions in June when he took refuge in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London after he lost a court case challenging the validity of the arrest warrant demanding his return to Sweden for questioning, the newspaper said.

A separate group of Assange supporters forfeited $320,000 in bail money following a court order this year.

"We never envisaged when we became sureties that this matter would become a diplomatic argument, and it is clear that this needs to be resolved at diplomatic level," said Smith during the hearing in court.